Drying floor for storage structures



March 4, 1952 R DEYO DRYING FLOOR FOR STORAGE STRUCTURES 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1 Filed 001.. 27, 1950 0 A x M ATOE/VEY-S March 4, 1952 M, R DEYO 2,587,978

DRYING FLOOR FOR STORAGE STRUCTURES Filed Oct. 27, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR.. MARK A? Dave BY Patented Mar. 4, 1952 DRYING FLOOR FOR STORAGE STRUCTURES Mark R. Deyo, Peoria, Ill.

Application October 27, 1950, Serial No. 192,593

Claims.

This invention relates to storage structures,

such as corn cribs, and more particularly to such a structure having a special floor for air drying materials stored therein.

It is among the objects of the invention to.

provide an improved floor for a storage structure, such as a corn crib, which floor is provided in separable sections or panels so that it can be installed and removed as desired and adjusted to storage structures of various sizes; which includes contiguously arranged sections each of which comprises a rigid frame and a body of perforate or reticulate material disposed within and marginally secured to the frame to provide a free flow of air through the floor; which includes separated side portions inclined upwardly away from their adjacent edges and movable doors disposed between the side portions for discharging material, such as ear corn, supported on the floor, through the fioor to a conveyor or other device for removing material from the storage structure; which includes means for automatically moving the doors progressively from one end to the other end of the structure; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and effective and efiicient in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a substantially horizontal cross sectional view of a storage structure showin in top plan view a drying floor illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawings, the storage structure therein illustrated may comprise a corn crib having end walls I!) and II and side walls l2 and I3 joined at their ends to the corresponding ends of the end walls to provide a rectangular structure or building. The structure has a concrete floor l6 comprising two slabs I l and ill of elongated, rectangular cross sectional shape, the outer edges of which extend along the side walls of the building and the inner edges of which are spaced apart to provide a re cess I9 which extends lengthwise of the building ,from one end to the other and substantially midway between the side walls thereof.

The recess I9 has a concrete floor comprising a slab 20 having a width equal to the width of a means, such as the angle brackets 216.

. 2 the recess and a thickness much less than the thickness of the floor slabs l1 and 18.

A conveyor is mounted in the recess and comprises a table or platform 2| extending longitudinally of the recess from one end to the other and substantially horizontally disposed so that its upper surface is substantially at the upper, open side of the recess. Two endless conveyor chins 22 and 23 are disposed one along each side of the table 2|, the table being mounted on the adjacentfaces of the slabs l1 and It by suitable Chain sprockets, as indicated at 24, are journaled at theopposite ends of the table and carry the conveyor chains 22 and 23 and tranverse bars or scrapers 25 extend between the chains at spaced apart intervals therealong and are secured at their opposite ends to the chains. A power plant, such as the electric motor 21, is connected to the chain sprockets at one end of the conveyor by a suitable gear train 28 and is effective to drive the conveyor so that the scrapers 25 resting upon the upper surface of the table are moved longitudinally-of the table from one end to the other end of the latter, these bars returning through the space between the table and the floor slab 20 of the recess.

The drag or conveyor may be connected to a corn sheller or other machine to which the material stored in the storage structure is delivered.

The drying floor, generally indicated at 30, comprises a plurality of contiguously arranged panels or sections each of which includes a rigid, rectangular frame of angle iron, and a body of perforate or reticulate material disposed within each frame and marginally secured thereto to provide a floor pervious to the flow of air therethrough.

In the arrangement illustrated the side and end walls comprise spaced apart, substantially vertical studs I4 with horizontally disposed strips or slats I 5 secured to the outer edges of the studs in spaced apart relationship to provide for a flow of air through the walls of the building and the floor 30 extends between the inner edges of the studs.

The floor structure comprises a row of center panels, as indicated at 31, 3'2, 33, 34 l and 35 in Figure 1, and two rows of side panels, as indicated at 36, 31, 38, 39 and 40 for one row, and M, 42, 43, 44 and 45 for the other row. This numberin does not in any way limit or restrict the number of panels used, since the number of panels will be that number sufilcient to entirely overlie the floor area of the particular storage structure.

The center panels 3| to 35 inclusive are of elongated, rectangular shape and extend transversely of the storage structure symmetrically of the recess [9 with their ends spaced substantially equal distances from the adjacent side walls l2 and I3 of the strueture.

Each of these center sections comprises a rectangular frame formed of suitable angle iron and one or more bodies of reticulate material disposed within the frame and marginally secured thereto. Referring to the center panel 35 illustrated in top plan view in Figure 1 and in cross section in Figure 2, this panel has two side members 46 and 41 making up the rectangular frame. The frame includes an intermediate portion disposed substantially parallel to the top surface of the floor [6 of the storage structure and supported on short, cylindrical columns 50 and 51 disposed at the respectively opposite sides of the recess l9, and two end portions 52 and 53 which incline upwardly and outwardly from the corresponding ends of the intermediate portions toward the respectively adjacent side walls l2 and I3 of the storage structure. The center panels are arranged side by side in contiguous relationship to each other so that adjacent frame side members contact and are interconnected and the end members are in alignment at the respectively opposite ends of the panels, as is particularly illustrated in Fi ure 1.

Alternate center panels, such as the panels 3|, 33 and 35, are provided with discharge openings therein, whereas the intermediate center panels, such as the panels 32 and 34, do not have such openings. The center panel 35, particularly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is typical of a center panel having a discharge opening therein and includes, in addition to the frame members indicated above, two transversely extending frame members 54 and 55 extending between and secured to the side members 46 and 41 and spaced substantially equal distances from the midlength location of the center panel. Two bodies 56 and 51 of reticulate material, such as wire mesh, are disposed within the frame of this center panel, the body 56 extending from the intermediate member 54 to the end member 38 and between the side members of the frame and the body 5! extending from the intermedi-- ate member 55 to the end member 49 and between the side members of the frame. These bodies thus provide an air pervious platform at the opposite sides of the opening 59 between the intermediate members 54 and 55. Tracks '63 and BI are disposed one on each intermediate member 54 and 55 and a longitudinally corrugated door 62 is slidably mounted on the tracks 6|] and BI.

The intermediate center panels, not provided with openings, are similar to the panel 35, but omit the intermediate members 54 and 55 and may have a single body of reticulate material extending continuously from one end to the other thereof.

The columns 50 and 5| are arranged in two rows of spaced apart columns with one row extending along each side of the recess [9 and the columnsare so arranged that each column underlies the adjacent frame side members of two contiguous panels near corresponding ends .of the intermediate portions of these center "panels.

Each side or auxiliary panel comprises an angle iron frame of substantially square or rectangular shape, as indicated at 53 and 64 in Figures 1 and 2, and a body, as indicated at 65 and 66 respectively, of reticulate material disposed within and marginally secured to the corresponding frame. The side panels overlap and are superimposed upon the corresponding upwardly inclined end portions of the center frames and are adjustably secured to the end portions of the center frames by suitable means, such as the bolts 61, so that the side panels can be moved inwardly and outwardly to adjust the floor to different widths of drying structures, as indicated by broken lines at the right-hand side of Figure 2. The floor is accommodated to the length of the drying structure or building by using the proper number of panels, contiguously arranged, to correspond to the length of the building.

Columns, as indicated at 68 and 69, extend upwardly from the floor It near the building side walls l2 and 13 to support the outer ends of the side panels. Each of these columns may comprise an angle iron member having a beveled upper end with a bearing plate 10 disposed on the upper end thereof and underlying the adjacent frame side members of two contiguously arranged side panels. The bearing plates are secured to the side frames by suitable means, such as the bolts H, to rigidly support the outer, upper ends of the side panels.

The doors 62, 12 and 13 associated with the center panels 35, 33 and 31, are connected together by flexible strands, as indicated at 14 and 15, and a strand [6 is connected to the end door 13 and extends outwardly of the storage structure for pulling this end door outwardly of the structure.

The door connecting strands increase progressively in length from the end door 13 to the opposite end door 62 so that the door 13 can be moved out of the structure to uncover the opening in the corresponding center panel 3! without moving the door 12 or any of the doors rearwardly of the door 12, opening only the opening in the center panel 3|. After the material at the corresponding ends of the structure has been discharged through this opening, a further pull on the door 13 will move the door '42 to uncover the opening in the corresponding center panel and the doors may be progressively opened to the rear end of the structure, providing discharge through only one opening at a time so that the conveyor will not be clogged.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being-indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a storage structure having side and end walls and a floor provided with a recess extending from one to the other end wall substantially midway between said side walls and a conveyor in said recess, a drying floor for said structure comprising a plurality of rectangular panels disposed above said floor and arranged in rows of contiguously arranged panels disposed one row above said recess and one row at each side of the latter with said panels extending substantially to the opposite side walls or" said structure and from one end of the structure to the other, means supporting said panels from said floor so that the panels in the rows disposed at each side of said recess are upwardly inclined away from said recess, each of said panels comprising a rigid frame and a body of reticulate material within and marginally secured to the frame, at least some or said panels having discharge openings therein, doors slidably mounted on said panels in covering relationship to said discharge openings, and means interconnecting said doors for progressively moving the latter from one end to the other of said recess to progressively uncover said discharge openings.

2. A drying floor for a storage structure comprising a row of contiguously arranged center panels each including a rigid frame and at least one body of reticulate material disposed in and marginally secured to said frame, each of said center panels having an intermediate portion and upwardly inclined end portions disposed one at each end of the intermediate portion, rows of contiguously arranged side panels disposed one row at each side of said row of center panels with each side panel adjustably secured to a corresponding center panel end portion and each including a rigid frame and a body of reticulate material disposed in and marginally secured to said frame, means supporting said side panels in position inclined upwardly away from said center panels, at least some of said center panels having discharge openings therein, doors slidably mounted on the center panels having openings therein in covering relationship to the corresponding openings, and means interconnecting said doors for movement thereof from one end of the drying floor to uncover said openings.

3. A floor for a storage structure comprising contiguously arranged separable panels of perfora'te construction including intermediate portions providing a substantially horizontal intermediate fioor portion and upwardly inclined side portions disposed at the opposite sides of said intermediate portions, means supporting said panels in floor forming position, some of said panels having discharge openings in the intermediate portion thereof, and doors slidably mounted on the panels having discharge openings therein in covering relationship to the corresponding openings.

4. A floor for a storage structure comprising contiguously arranged separable panels providing a substantially horizontal intermediate floor portion and upwardly inclined side portions disposed one at each side of said intermediate portion, means supporting said panels in floor forming position, some of said panels having discharge openings therein, and doors slidably mounted on the panels having openings therein in covering relationship to the corresponding openings, each of said panels comprising a rigid rectangular frame and at least one rectangular body of reticulate material marginally secured to such frame.

5. A floor for a storage structure comprising a plurality of separable center panels of perforate construction supported in side-by-side relationship, each of said center panels including a substantially horizontally disposed intermediate portion and upwardly inclined side portions disposed one at each side of the intermediate portion, side panels of perforate construction adjustably secured one on each of said center panel side portions and inclined upwardly from the latter, the side panels at the opposite sides of the center portions of said center panels being contiguously disposed in side-by-side relationship, alternate center panels having discharge openings in the center portions thereof, and .doors slidably mounted on the center panels having discharge openings therein in covering relationship to the corresponding discharge openings.

MARK. R. DEYO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,190 Meade Nov. 11, 1941 2,504,213 Meyer Apr. 18, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 824,328 France Nov. 10, 1937 

